Back from the Brink
by bonesintheocean
Summary: Fiona is back from rehab, and intends to keep her promise to Eli to see him. Eliona fluff. For Gehad.
1. Chapter 1

**Eli.**

_I'm out of rehab. I know I promised you we'd meet up. Want to come over? -Fi._

Eli had spent most of his time since school got out doing typical not-in-school-so-whatever things, like playing Xbox at Adam's, researching concert tickets, and he'd even had a couple coffee dates with Clare. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't anxious to have Fiona released from rehab. He was worried about her, but once she checked herself in, he knew she'd be okay. All the same, he _had_ made her promise to see him after. Of course, they were still friends.

_Sure. When would you like me?_

He looked at himself in the mirror as he waited for her reply. His phone buzzed.

_Let's have dinner. Be here around six-ish?_

With a smile, he sent her his agreement. Checking the clock, he realized it was already five. He went downstairs, to where his mother was in the kitchen, no doubt starting dinner. She smiled when she saw him out of the corner of her eye. "Hello, Elijah."

"Hey mom." He walked over to the sink, grabbing a loose jar, and got himself a drink of water. "So, mom, Fiona asked me to have dinner with her tonight. She got out of rehab yesterday."

Cece turned to her son, clapping her hands together softly. "That's great, honey! I'm so proud of her, taking responsibility for herself like that."

Eli smirked. "She wants to be better."

"Sounds familiar." His mother laughed, poking his shoulder. "Have fun at dinner then, sweetie. Do you need transportation?"

He shook his head, putting the jar of water down on the counter. "No, I can walk. Thanks mom."

Eli went back upstairs to his room, wondering if he should change his clothes. Knowing Fiona, this dinner was going to be amazing and fancy and expensive in some way, shape, or form. He decided he should at least wear something clean, but then chose to throw a grey button-down shirt on over his black tee. Naturally, it was only buttoned halfway up, littered with wrinkles, and the sleeves were pulled up a bit, but he figured he could still get credit for trying.

**Fiona.**

Fiona smiled, pleased with herself, as she gazed at the dining table. A beautifully cooked meal, a delicious dessert, and even some candles. She wanted it to seem like an apology. She wanted to make it up to Eli; before she went into rehab, she's almost forgotten he existed. It had seemed like the world was falling completely apart, and so was she, and she kept telling herself she had no one to turn to. She couldn't believe, looking back on it now, that he had been misplaced in her mind, after how sweet he had been. He was her _only_ friend in the whole school, and she had just brushed him off, probably when she had needed him most. Completely unaware of what kind of food he liked, she ordered steak and chicken. Then she smacked her own forehead, thinking, _What if he's a vegetarian?_ Surely he would have mentioned that. Either way, there were two warm plates of delicious luxury dinners waiting for them, and a fantastic cake made with peaches and cream cheese frosting. She sighed a happy sigh, looking at the clock on her oven. It was 6:02.

There was a knock at her door. She nearly squealed with joy, rushing over to open it. As soon as she did, Eli observed her superfluous excitement, and smiled. He started to step inside, and Fiona grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. She closed her eyes, smiling brightly. "I'm so sorry, Eli! I'm so glad you're here. I missed you!"

Confused, but happy nonetheless, Eli returned Fiona's hug. "Sorry for what?"

With a sigh, Fiona grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the kitchen. "Well, I guess before I went to rehab, I kind of neglected you. I was having a really, really hard time, and I didn't even think to call you. I needed someone and I didn't even give you a chance. It's just... you're such a good friend to me, Eli! And you were all I had, and I didn't even call you. So, I'm sorry."

Eli smiled, observing the dining table. It was _more_ than he expected. "Fiona, even though I really do wish you would have given me the chance to help you, I'm glad you decided to help yourself. I'm just happy you're better."

Fiona hugged Eli one more time, and sighed. "Aw, you're so sweet."

He shrugged, and gazed at the food on the table. "Fiona, did you order _two_ dinners?"

"Yeah," she said quickly, "I didn't know what you like, so I got you a prime rib au jus with garlic red-skinned potatoes and peas, and a grilled, seasoned chicken breast with whole-grain rice and green beans. I almost ordered you a lobster, but I wasn't... Seafood isn't really _my_ favorite thing in the world, so I thought you might not–"

"Fiona!" Eli interrupted her, laughing. "It's okay. Honestly, I would have eaten whatever you put in front of me. You could have just ordered pizza."

Fiona chuckled. "Well, thank you."

"For what?"

"For not saying _should have_."


	2. Chapter 2

**Eli.**

Eli sat at the head of the table, like Fiona commanded, in the fanciest chair, and she sat beside him. She smiled so brightly as she sat his plate in front of him and poured him a glass of water. He couldn't help but laugh, and she laughed with him. He nodded and made her sit, then returned the favor, serving her food to her, and pouring her some water. When they were both seated, the burst out laughing one last time. She picked up her fork delicately and eyed her chicken. "You're quite foolish, Eli. I enjoy the lighter side of you."

Eli smirked, beginning to cut through his steak. He was still beside himself regarding the quality of the meal. He was reminded, sitting here with her, being mocked by her extensively superior table manners, how much he enjoyed her company, and how much he had missed her when she was away at rehab. "I'm glad you're back, Fiona. And that you're better."

Fiona smiled, blushing a bit. She took a sip of her water. "I missed you, too. And I'm glad that _you_ are better as well."

"I guess we're both finding our way, right?"

Fiona nodded. Eli smiled, impatiently chewing his food. He wondered what would happen at the end of the meal. Would he just go home? Perhaps he could suggest something else. He tossed ideas over in his mind, but he was interrupted by Fiona. "I was thinking, after dinner... Maybe we could watch a movie or something."

Eli looked up to see that her plate was nearly clean, and back down at his own to see his was still at least half full. He took a drink of water and sat his fork down. "That sounds great."

"Actually," Fiona said, "Maybe we could just talk for a little bit."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? About what?"

She shrugged, giggling. "I don't know, life? Friends, girls, plans, life. Stuff!"

Eli chuckled and wiped his face with his napkin. "I have a better idea."

"Do you now?" Fiona looked at him suspiciously.

"We could play a _game_." Eli smirked as she eyed him skeptically. "It's more interesting than just talking."

Fiona sighed, standing up. Eli stood beside her, and they locked sarcastic glares. She finally cracked a smile. "Girls have talks, boys play games."

Eli walked into the living room, taking a seat on the couch, and Fiona sat beside him. She rested her elbow on the couch and faced him, a devious smirk across her lips. "So, which game should we play?"

Shrugging and smiling, Eli tried to think of all the games he knew. All the simple ones that he'd classified as "games girls play at sleepovers." He sighed, clapping his hands together. "Well, there's Truth or Dare, Twenty Questions, Never Have I Ever, Would You Rather..."

"Ooh!" Fiona jumped. "I _love_ Never Have I Ever!"

Eli laughed, then paused, his smile faltering. "Isn't that considered a... drinking game?"

Fiona shook her head. She patted his shoulder. "Don't fret, my sweet, there are other means by which we can play our game. I have played Never Have I Ever at least three different ways. Drinking, Gambling, Strip..."

She stopped at strip, making Eli look up at her. Her smile was wide. She jumped up off the couch. "That's it!"

"Fiona, I..." Eli fiddled with his hands, eyes wide.

"Boo hoo, Goldsworthy's a wuss!"

He glared up at her. "Excuse me?"

Fiona smirked, striking a pose with her hands on her hips. "Oh, I'm sorry, _Elijah_. I was unaware stripping was far too adult for you. I can understand if you're too _underdeveloped_ for this game."

Eli stood up to match her, smirking. "Fine, Miss Coyne. Let's do this."

**Fiona.**

Fiona reached for the remote and turned on the stereo. She directed Eli to move the coffee table so they could sit on the floor together. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed their water glasses, returning to find Eli relaxing against the couch on the floor, a smug look on his face. Fiona laughed. "Don't get too comfortable, Goldsworthy."

He shook his head. "Maybe you should step off your high horse."

"Never!" She said, falling down to the floor to sit across from him, a broad smile plastered onto her face. "Now, I'm warning you," she said softly, "I _will not_ remove my underwear!"

Eli scoffed. "I was thinking a saint like you wouldn't even need to take off your socks."

With that, Fiona grabbed the nearest couch cushion and hit him over the head with it. She stuck her tongue out at him as he rubbed his hair. "You first then."

Putting his hands out in front of him, all ten fingers standing, Eli thought. "Okay... Never Have I Ever... Given a complete stranger my phone number."

Fiona sighed, her pinkie finger falling. She yanked off her left sock, unimpressed. "That was such a lame one!" She clucked her tongue in disgust as Eli watched, amused. "Never Have I Ever _sexted_," she said, with slight repulse.

"Shit," Eli muttered, removing one of his socks. His cheeks darkened a bit as Fiona laughed at him. He looked around the room as he thought. "Never Have I Ever... painted my nails pink."

Thinking for a moment, Fiona pulled her other sock off. "Eli, yours are wimpy. Come on, darling, dream a little bigger." She thought of her own, moving her fingers as if she were playing a piano or typing on a typewriter. "Oh, well, Never Have I Ever gotten my license."

Eli sighed, throwing his sock across the room. "We're out of socks."

Fiona laughed. If there was anything she was loving about the evening, it was Eli being so... silly. She couldn't think of another word to describe it. He smiled and said, "Okay, discovery time. Let's uncover more dirt than 'Eli has sexted.' Never Have I Ever taken a topless photo of myself."

Again, Fiona simply giggled. Eli seemed to think he could catch her in something, but he actually was the one taking off his button-down shirt. He glared at her. "Seriously?" She simply nodded, covering her mouth.

"My turn!" Fiona said with a grin. "Never Have I Ever been under Clare Edwards' spell!"

Eli's jaw dropped slightly, but he slowly peeled off his black shirt. Fiona blinked. He was wearing a necklace, why didn't he take that off? But she found that, quite strangely, she didn't mind. He frowned at her. "Low blow, Coyne. Low blow."

"So get me back!"

"Never Have I Ever..." Eli smirked. "_Kissed a guy_."

Fiona scowled, bravely grabbing the sleeves of her shirt and pulling it off. She wouldn't usually be so okay with this, but really, it was Eli. "Okay, I deserved that," she said as she flung her shirt onto the couch. She clapped her hands. "Mhm! Young man, my face is up here. You may admire my fantastic taste in undergarments when it's your turn again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Eli.**

Eli's face was bright red. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to crack a smile. "Well, that was embarrassing."

Fiona narrowed her eyes at him, but then put her hands back up. "Never Have I Ever showered with my clothes on."

They stared blankly at each other for a moment, and Fiona sighed. "Aw!" she whined, "That would have been funny."

"_My_ turn," Eli said, closing his eyes to think. "Never Have I Ever... shoplifted."

Fiona laughed. "You think I'd shoplift? I never needed to." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Ugh! I wish I could think of something really, really good..." She thought for a moment, rocking back and forth in place, and then sighed. "Never Have I Ever kissed a redhead."

Eli shrugged, unhooking his necklace and tossing it onto the coffee table. Fiona discarded the bracelet she was wearing, and Eli looked at her nervously. "We're down to pants."

Sharing serious and nervous looks, they both burst out laughing. Fiona smiled, reaching over and grabbing Eli's shoulder. "I think we're all set then."

Eli smirked, reaching to grab his shirt. Fiona grabbed his wrist. "No, no! Fun spoiler, you are, Mr. Goldsworthy."

"You expect me to remain shirtless until I leave?"

Fiona nodded once. "I do."

He smirked. _Why?_ "And you are, too?"

She nodded again, then leaned back against the couch, eyebrow raised. "Why, might that be _problematic_ for you, dear?"

Eli put his face in his hand and sighed. Fiona was acting ridiculous, to say the least. He looked back up at her, and she was playing with her fingers. He stood, folding his arms across his chest. "Didn't you say there was cake?"

With a nod, Fiona stood, quite clumsily, and skipped into the kitchen. She was so cheerful and bright, and Eli found it odd and intoxicating. He followed her out to the kitchen, where she pulled a covered platter out of her refrigerator. Lifting the silver cover, she revealed the superfluously decorated dessert. She presented a knife and two plates, and offered him the job of cutting the cake. He smiled, but paused, and sent Fiona a mischievous grin. "Truth or dare?"

She laughed, sticking her tongue out at him. But when she saw he wasn't kidding, she sat the plates down on the table. "Dare."

Eli sat the knife down beside the plates and took a step back. "Stick your face in the cake."

"_What_?"

"Stick your face in the cake!" Eli smiled as he pointed, waiting patiently.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard what you said, but..."

"_Eat it_. No hands."

Glaring at him and briefly biting her tongue, Fiona stared down at what she assumed was soon to be her makeup. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her face into the frosting and bit at the edge. When she pulled her face back up, mouth full, Eli was almost on the floor laughing. He held onto the table as she wiped frosting from her eyes, scowling at him. In a swift motion, she grabbed a fistful of cake and smashed it in face, rubbing it around. She laughed loudly and maniacally as he stood in shock. In a matter of seconds, it was war. Handfuls of frosting and chunks of yellow cake were all over the floor, table, and some even on the wall. By the time the platter was bare, both Eli and Fiona were nearly covered, sitting beside each other on the floor in the kitchen, their stomachs cramping from all their laughter.

**Fiona.**

Fiona could hardly stand to look at Eli, covering her cake-coated face with her cake-coated hands as she giggled uncontrollably. When she finally stopped, she rested her head back against the cupboard she sat in front of and gazed at Eli, who was a complete mess of peaches and cream cheese frosting. She reached out her index finger and captured some of the frosting off his face. He laughed as she tasted it, and smiled proudly. "Oh Eli, you're so sweet."

Eli mimicked her actions, taking some frosting from her cheek. "That was a pretty bad joke, Fiona."

Rolling her eyes, Fiona pushed Eli's head gently against the cupboard. "It wasn't a _joke_, you fool." She spotted the roll of paper towels and stood to grab them, then sat back down again and started wiping her face clean. "We made such a mess!"

Eli laughed, taking some paper towels from Fiona and, instead of wiping his face, began to wipe the frosting off the fridge and cupboards. "Your turn," he said.

"Hm?"

"It's your turn." Eli smiled and began cleaning the floor.

"Oh!" Fiona stood up again, recalling what game had started this whole thing in the first place. As she started to clean the frosting off the counter top, she asked him, "Truth or dare, Eli?"

Thinking for only a moment as he grabbed more paper towels, Eli decided on truth. "Truth." That seemed safe based on where the first dare had gotten them.

Fiona glanced over her shoulder, only to see Eli wasn't look at her. He was far too focused on cleaning, apparently. She giggled. "How many girls have you kissed, not including your mother or other family members? Oh, and toss me more paper towels, please."

"Four." Eli grabbed the roll of paper towels, took some more for himself, and threw it to Fiona. They shared smiles before resuming their cleaning. Eli continued the game. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Fiona turned to face him, resting against the table, which was mostly clean.

Eli turned around as well and leaned against the counter. "How many cake wars have you had in your lifetime, Miss Coyne?"

Fiona covered her mouth as she burst out laughing. Eli smirked to himself. She walked over to him and put one arm around his shoulders. "Just one, darling. Just one." She used the paper towel she still had in her hand to wipe some of the cake off his face. "Last time. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he said softly.

As she lowered the towel from his face, their eyes met. His eyes were fantastically green, like fresh grass in the summer or blazing emeralds. Fiona had never really enjoyed green eyes. They had never seemed so enticing, until she had seen his. Without thinking, she dared. "I dare you to spend the night."

His green eyes widened. She looked at the floor, nervous, thinking he would reject it instantly. It wasn't even so much a dare as an offer. She stole a glance up at him, and he was grinning. He grabbed a paper towel he had been using and wiped some frosting of her shoulder. "Challenge accepted."


	4. Chapter 4

Eli stood in Fiona's bathroom, staring himself down in the mirror, realizing what he had agreed to do. He was going to spend the night at Fiona's condo, he was going to _shower in Fiona's bathroom_... continue to gaze into Fiona's eyes... And maybe even sleep in Fiona's bed. If he was lucky. The thought gave him chills. He wanted to smack himself. _I came here with the intentions of catching up, visiting my friend_, he thought, _Good, clean intentions_.

It wasn't as if he honestly thought he would try anything with her (or that he even could. _She's a lesbian, right?_) "Some dare for a girl who doesn't like boys..." he muttered, rolling his eyes. But he couldn't be mad, or irritated. He wasn't. It was a light, fun night. A little crazy, a little ridiculous, but all the same, it was two close friends having fun after missing each other for a while. Eli cracked a smile, thinking of the tiny hole that was beginning to form in his stomach after she'd gone to rehab, and how it simply vanished as soon as he saw her smile again. He bit his tongue. _This can't be happening_.

_I can't be having feelings for her_.

He tried to brush it off as the weight of the dare. It was just his mind racing, betraying him. But then he wondered if it was actually happening in his mind or not. Maybe it was really a case of feelings, not thoughts.

There was a knock on the door. "Elijah!" Fiona called through the door, "Do you need help getting the water started?"

Glancing over at the shower, he realized he hadn't started the water. He'd just stood and stared at himself, has face, still coated in a thin film of frosting. Shaking his head, he opened the door. "I think I can manage."

Fiona laughed, scrunching her hair in a towel. She had beat him to the shower. She smiled. "I'll get you some pajama pants from Declan's room."

"Just pants?" Eli smirked.

Fiona rolled her eyes at him. "You came in two shirts, didn't you? I'm sure you could stand to wear _one_ to bed. But, if you prefer shirtlessness, who am I to judge?"

Eli laughed, but bit his lip. "Fiona, I–"

"Want to go home?" She said with a friendly smile, cutting him off. "Eli, you don't _have_ to stay. It was just a silly dare. We've had fun, had a nice night. You can go home."

Nervously, Eli grabbed a towel, a smirk tugging on his lips. "Can you just show me how to start the water so I don't get frosting on your probably hundred-dollar sheets?"

With a nervous chuckle and a small smirk, Fiona brushed past him to turn on the water. He wondered if she was as surprised as he was.

Fiona paced through her room as she wrapped herself in her silk robe, wearing summertime sleepwear and hoping it wasn't apparent how anxious she was. Her thoughts were racing, her heart was pounding, and any minute, Eli was going to emerge from the bathroom, dripping wet and wrapped in a hot envelope of steam. She wanted to kick herself. _Straight_ Fiona couldn't even handle the mental image. But _straight_ Fiona didn't exist anymore, so what was the problem?

_I can't possibly like him_, she thought. But then she stopped pacing and looked at herself in a mirror on her wall. She frowned. _But if I don't, then why do I feel like this? Why are thoughts of steamy Goldsworthy getting me all in a tizzy? I'm a lesbian!_

Steamy Goldsworthy. Would she be able to shake the thought? Probably not, she realized, as she heard a door open down the hall. She stepped out to see him, clean, damp, and wrapped in a fluffy towel or two (two? As a precaution, maybe...). He cheeks were tinted red, but he smirked. "So, pants?"

Fiona swallowed hard, the lump in her throat not receding, and grabbed the pants she had gotten for him off her bed. "You're a bit scrawnier than Declan, so they won't fit flawlessly, but they should do."

Eli smiled and nodded to her. He accepted the clothes. "Okay, so... Declan's room. Where is that?"

With that, Fiona felt her heart drop. She immediately turned away, to the side, in hopes that she wasn't being so obvious with all these awkward emotions. _I'm one of the most socially awkward people I know_, she thought, cursing herself for it. Why would he ever think he was sleeping anywhere but Declan's room? Of course! God, she was so stupid. She attempted to recover by throwing him a sarcastic glare.

He looked intimidated. She paused before speaking, and let him. "Oh, I'm sorry... Does that defeat the purpose of the dare?"

Her eyes widened slightly, but Fiona smirked. Craft, Coyne, Craft. "Duh."

He pressed his lips together tightly, and the silence between them was thick. Fiona felt his eyes on her, and she didn't mind. She focused on the small droplets of water cascading down his cheek, neck, chest. He flashed her a smirk and went back into the bathroom, emerging again only seconds later, clad in the pants she had provided and wearing the towel around his neck. He looked embarrassed, and she covered her mouth to giggle when she realized he'd had to roll the pants so they would fit on his small body. The luxurious fabric rested gently on his hips, and the cuffs dragged the ground around his feet. He continued to try and dry his hair, and followed behind her as she went into the kitchen. "I'm thirsty," she announced, observing the time. It was still sort of early. Only ten thirty.

Still, she was surprised he had been there for four hours already. She got a glass of water for herself and for Eli, who smacked himself on the forehead as soon as she did. "What?"

Eli sighed. "My pills."

"I thought those were a morning thing...?" Fiona said, confused. She knew she wasn't completely aware of all his medical whatnot, but she was sure the pills were a morning thing, or a whenever-you-need-them thing.

"Twice a day... I only took them once." He seemed less panicked, and shrugged a bit. It was a rigid, hesitant shrug, accompanied by a sip of water. He set his glass back on the counter, and his eyes locked on Fiona's. Their eyes met, and married in place. She couldn't break her gaze this time, into those deep, dark emeralds. His eyes, though, contained a certain gleam. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She stepped closer to him. He leaned. She closed her eyes.

He kissed her first.


	5. Chapter 5

**Eli.**

After slowly pulling away from the kiss, Eli stood frozen. Had he just done something ridiculous and unthinkable? Surely their friendship wouldn't suffer too brutally due to his stupidity and... Teenage boy hormones? He almost thought he could justify his actions, especially after Fiona had been dancing around in her bra half the night. It was almost like she was asking for it. The silence dragged on, and Eli felt unbearably tense. So, he spoke. "I – I'm really sorry, I... I didn't... I'm sorry Fiona..." Words betrayed him, and he couldn't seem to speak properly, stuttering and mumbling as if he didn't actually speak English. He cleared his throat.

But Fiona spoke first. "Eli, it's..." She paused, and looked at him with a smirk across her lips. "It's fine."

Eli felt his own confusion pulsing inside his mind. "But... Aren't... What do you mean?"

"I mean that you can kiss me again now."

"R-really?" Eli said in shock, but also feeling an electric pulse in his chest.

She smiled. "Come here."

He felt her fingers wrap around the back of his neck, and he leaned in to kiss her again. She still tasted like frosting and lip gloss. He smirked, grabbing onto her waist, and pulling her close. Eventually, she pulled away, and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned back against the counter with a small, happy sigh. "I missed you, Fiona."

Fiona chuckled. "I missed you too, Eli."

"Have I ever told you how much it bums me out that you're a lesbian?"

"Are you a girl?" Fiona said sarcastically.

Eli laughed. "No, I'm not."

"Then I guess I'm not a lesbian, am I?" Fiona stole a quick kiss before continuing. "Do you like me, Elijah?"

Hesitant, Eli thought. He ran his fingers through his hair, still damp, and wondered what to say. The answer was obvious at this point, to him anyway. Of course he liked her. She was fantastic, beautiful, strong, intelligent... She was simply amazing, breathtaking, stunning. Plenty of people would kill to be in his shoes right then. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled. "Of course I do."

Fiona shifted her gaze to the floor, blushing a bit. "Good."

Eli took another sip of his water. "This, uhm, complicates the dare a little, doesn't it?"

"You can still go home, if you'd like."

Smiling, Eli gently grabbed her hand. He stepped away from her slightly, and lifted it to his lips, softly kissing her fingers. "Do you honestly think I would pass this up?"

"I had hoped you wouldn't, dear." Fiona said, stepping away from the counter, but continuing to grasp Eli's hand.

"Then let's go," Eli said, placing one more kiss on Fiona's cheek.

**The end!**

**Sorry the chapter is so short, but I really didn't want to add this onto the last one! Thank you so much to everyone who left super nice reviews and stuff. I was seriously doubting my ability to ~fanfiction, but again, thank you thank you thank you!**


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